ASSOCIATE Magazine FBINAA Q2-2025

2025 FBINAA NATIONAL ANNUAL TRAINING CONFERENCE | BALTIMORE

BREAKOUT SESSIONS

Series: Personnel Matters - Recruiting RECRUITMENT, HIRING AND RETENTION INTO THE 21ST CENTURY: A SUCCESS STORY THROUGH CULTURE CHANGE Chief Paul LeBaron , Hermosa Beach Police Department; NA Session 261 Lieutenant Joe Poelstra , Hermosa Beach Police Department What is the secret sauce when it comes to recruitment, hiring and retention? Why aren't the traditional methods working? The Hermosa Beach Police Department was faced with the same challenges as most small agencies. The police department of 71 employees had 26 vacancies. Over the next 18 months the department hired 26 people to become fully staffed. This presentation will provide real examples from the Police Recruitment Team on how they recruited a diverse pool of quality applicants and have set the stage for the next genera tion of leadership in the department. A focus on changing the internal culture, using social media, technology and meeting the unique needs of today's young generation applicants will be presented. The roles of the City Manager, Chief of Police, Command Staff, Front Line Supervisors, Recruiters and Human Resources will be outlined as every role plays an important part in the overall success in hiring, recruitment and retention. Learning Objectives § Attendees will develop strategies to create a culture that is conducive to the new generation employee, while maintaining strong organizational values § Attendees will identify tasks for each member of a recruitment team, ranging from the head executive to HR § Attendees will learn specific techniques to create an organizational culture that will develop 21st Century leaders Biography Paul LeBaron is a 32 year veteran of law enforcement, serving 27 years with the Long Beach Police Department and currently serving as Chief of Police in Hermosa Beach, California. Paul's career includes assignments in patrol, undercover Narcotics, Internal Affairs, Vice Squad, Public Information Officer, and numerous management ranks. Paul is a graduate of FBI National Academy Session 261, Sherman Block Leadership Institute Class #177 and holds a Graduate Certificate in Criminal Justice from the University of Virginia. Paul is a faculty member at his alma matermatter, CSU Long Beach, where he teaches in the Criminal Justice Department. Paul has made organizational culture a foundation for success in the Hermosa Beach Police Department. The culture has been instrumental in seeing the department reach full staffing levels with a waiting list, a 100 percent retention rate over the past five years and the development of the new generation of officers into future leaders of the profession. Lieutenant Joe Poelstra began his law enforcement career in 1993 with the Costa Mesa Police Department serving for nine years, achiev ing the rank of Corporal. In 2008, Joe joined the Hermosa Beach Police Department, where he served as an officer, detective, FTO Supervi sor, and he created the Community Police Academy, as well as establishing the Department's social media presence on platforms like Instagram and Facebook. In 2022, Joe was assigned to the Professional Standards Unit, where he successfully recruited and processed over 600 applications to ultimately hire 26 new employees for various positions, earning recognition from regional agencies for his effec tiveness in recruitment. Because of these efforts, he won the “Excellence in Innovation” award from POALAC in 2023. Joe was also featured as a subject matter expert at hiring and retention symposiums throughout the state of California, and he spoke on the topic of hiring at the 2023 IACP Conference in San Diego.

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